TM [Complete ✔️]

11. Book

Zane's P.O.V

Today was my last day at Blood Moon before I moved away.

After many sleepless nights, and many tears later, I'd managed to pack up the entire suite, by myself, only excited to move so I wouldn't have to look at all the empty walls and boxes scattered around.

It was as if I'd never lived there. It was as if Rosie had never cooked, cried, or laughed there. As if our love had been a fantasy I now seeked.

Francis and Mia had already settled into their new roles in the pack, Dali and Knox waiting until I moved away to have the ceremony. The new Betas hadn't given me pressure for their new suite, either, running to and from the pack house every day for the past week.

I sighed in exhaustion as I set Beyla down in her car seat, handing her off to Dali, who promised to watch her so I'd have one last look around my childhood pack and all the places that made it special.

"Take your time, I don't mind spending time with this sweet girl," she cooed, smiling warmly at me. "And remember, this isn't the last time you come here, don't say your goodbyes, just see you laters."

"I know," I replied, "I'll see you later. Let me know if you need anything!" And with that, I was off.

I walked through the streets I once played with Knox and the other pups on, passed the trees where my father taught me how to climb, passed the bushes my friends and I used to eat the fruits off of.

The lump in my throat only grew larger as the memories swarmed my head, making me hate myself for coming where I knew I couldn't handle.

The lake of almost all my childhood memories, memories with my mate, stared back at me, taunting. It loudly ran down, splashing its rocks and shores, fish swimming around.

I sat on the damp grass, shivering from the cold I was once protected from, hoping to hear from my wolf for just a second.

I even dared to call for him, only to have my hope crushed by the deafening silence.

I never knew silence could be so loud. So cruel...

Still, whether because I wouldn't be back for a while, if ever, or because I needed to punish myself for what I let slip through my fingers, I stayed until I no longer could handle the wind's sting on my face.

Here, as pups, I threw sand on Rosie's new dress, and she held my head underwater to try and drown me. Of course, she couldn't actually drag me, nor hold me down, but I felt guilty since she didn't get many new things, and messes got her in trouble with her dad, so I let her get her revenge, even when I felt like I could no longer breathe, only pushing her off when I was sure I couldn't stay down any longer. She'd laughed about it later, about how I got overpowered by a girl, but grown embarrassed once I reminded her when she was older.

Dusting myself off with that final memory in mind, I began walking to the place that would cause me the most heartache but I couldn't leave without seeing.

The place where Rosie and I first talked about how we were mates, sneaking around from her father, and where she told me she could never have a mate.

If only younger her knew she'd not only had a mate but also a beautiful daughter too...

When I reached our spot, I sat in the exact same place I had done years ago. Even after so much time, I knew exactly where that'd been.

I sat in the usual silence again until I couldn't handle it. I needed to speak to my mate, whether it made me insane or not.

"Do you remember what you said once, Angel?" I let a low, humorless chuckle escape my throat. "You told me you could never be with me, that you could never have a mate, and yet years later married me. Funny how that works, huh?" Wind whipped my hair back and forth, caressed my face with its sting. "If we were to tell little Rosie she'd get married in the middle of the night with nothing but a long coat over her pajamas, she would've never believed us. Nor would she ever let herself dream of our beautiful baby girl, but you achieved it all, sweetheart. And you were happy! Happier than you would've let yourself dream, so I hope wherever you are, that you're proud of yourself and that you know I'm proud of you, too!" A lone tear slipped down my cheek. I didn't bother wiping it away.

I'd gotten so sick of crying. I knew I couldn't stop the dam from breaking, that tears falling down my face were the least of my worries, and yet they chipped another part of me further every time without fail.

I stared off into the water, throwing a small rock and watching it bounce like she once did. I had guided her hand onto my chest, where my heart beat, afraid of losing her. If only the organ knew it indeed had to be afraid. If only it knew it would burn to ash years later.

Finally, after prolonging the action for as long as I could, I pulled the book I'd carried with me, our book, our story, open to the last page.

Dear pup,

I promised myself that if your daddy trusted me enough to listen to my feelings despite his worry, I'd do it. And he did, he listened, and although it took some coaxing on my part, and some promises to be made, I'm joining our pack in the quest to bring your cousin and uncle home. I'm terrified of losing either of them, if I'm being honest, but I'm clinging to the hope that all will end well. This, however, isn't just the next entry of the hard times we've had, it's how your dad and I got married late into the night, with nothing but pajamas and coats on. Looking at me, you'd probably not believe the story unless you read it, I wouldn't either.

I asked him to come with me and he wondered where we would go in the dead of the night before battle, yet instead of replying, I simply tugged at his hand until he was slipping my coat over my shoulders and buttoning it like he always insists to do.

***flashback***

I buttoned my mate's coat, my confusion only growing as she continued tugging on my hand, pulling me outside.

"Angel?" I dug my heels into the soil, an annoyed huff leaving her lips as she struggled for air.

"Goddess you're heavy," she glared at me, "and stubborn. I won't kidnap you, Zane!" I looked around the place, finding us completely alone save for the two guards stationed in front of the pack house, as I anticipated.

"I'm not sure about that," I muttered.

My mate pouted, placing her hands on my chest in an attempt to sway me. It was working.

"Please!" She whined, making me immediately cave.

"Fine," I relented, "lead the way!"

Despite the sadness and stress of what we'd had to face tomorrow, of the horrors we were being forced to live through, my girl looked more determined than she had in a while.

She looked happy. So happy I could do nothing but follow along as she dragged me through the pitch black woods under the sounds of hooting owls and annoying bugs, thanking Zion for the enhanced vision, or else we'd both be with our noses in the dirt by now.

"Almost there!" She murmured, sensing my impatience as we walked down what looked suspiciously like she was leading me to the venue we were meant to be getting married in, but I kept quiet, not wanting to break the spell of happiness that had enveloped her.

After a few more minutes of walking, she stopped exactly where I'd imagined she would - in our wedding venue. Rose dragged me under the archway before she spoke.

"You still want to get married, right?"

"I-" I stammered, confused, "Of course I do, Angel!" I declared, not wanting her to get upset if I asked questions before answering.

"Then marry me!" She looked into my eyes, taking ahold of my hands. "Marry me now, here!"

I rubbed circles on the back of her hands still holding mine with my thumbs.

"Where is this coming from?" I asked, making her purse her lips and shrug. "Angel, I want to give you the wedding of your dreams with your dream gown, your brother and your friends to watch, with pretty flowers-"

"We tried that already and look where it got us!" She interrupted. "I had a dress and my family and flowers and now my brother and my niece are gone and my pack is redying for a war I not only can't fight but can't help heal my pack members in." She whimpered towards the end. "Zane, I don't care about cake and decorations and dresses anymore," she murmured as tears gathered in her eyes, "I just want you! I want to be your wife, to have your last name! I want to carry your wedding band on my finger like a trophy. And tomorrow," she gulped, "should something happen to either of us, I want to know we were husband and wife, that I was yours and you were mine in every way."

A low growl slipped from my lips at her indication.

"Nothing will happen to you or to me!"

"You don't know that." I wiped the tear off her cheek as she looked up at me with her piercing green eyes. "You can't be sure! Please, Zane!"

"I want to be your husband, Angel! I want it more than anything in the world, I want you to have my last name. I would wish for nothing more than that, and although I think you deserve better than hiding off into the night, If this is what you want, we're getting married right now!" She smiled, wrapping her arms around me as much as her giant bump allowed.

"Thank you!"

My mate passed me the box with her ring inside, while she held the one storing mine, clearly having thought of everything. Taking her hand, I spun her around, eliciting a teary giggle from her.

"I hope you know I'll love you forever," I started, "that you're the most special wolf in the world for me and that I would gladly lay my life down for you any day! I love the way you laugh, the way you smile, I love waking up to you in the morning and watching you rub the sleep out of your eyes, I love that you're carrying my pup in your belly, that I get to have a baby with my best friend!" Tears streamed down her face as she held tightly into my hand, looking at me with so much love we both could burst. "I love that I've spent my whole life watching you grow up from a pup to a beautiful she-wolf! I love running with you and Rain through the forests, chasing you but knowing you're mine either way and would make your way back to me no matter if I catch you or not, but most of all, I love everything that you are and everything you strive to be!" Finally, I slipped the band onto her finger, marveling at its sight.

"I love you so much!" She choked on a sob. "I'm so happy I get to call my best friend my mate and that you never gave up on me! I will be forever grateful that you turned me from a distant she-wolf, afraid of getting too close, to a wife, a mother, a friend - someone, whose life is worth living. I couldn't imagine finding someone as caring as you who brings me breakfast in bed, works so I can watch TV all day, holds me tight when I need it, and holds his hand on my bump until our daughter kicks, no matter how long it takes each night. You'll be the most amazing father and I couldn't be more thankful to the Goddess that it would be to my pup!" When she finished, I too was teary-eyed as I watched her slip the band onto my finger with a smile.

"I pronounce you my wife, Miss Rosalie Brown!"

"You May kiss your bride, Mister Zane Brown!"

"Don't need to tell me twice, wife!" I grinned, lifting her, her legs snaking around my torso.

"Put me down, I'm heavy!" She giggled, pounding on my chest with her fists.

Holding her hands away from her, I bumped her back against a tree, caging her in as strands of hair stuck to her wet from tears face. I looked at my beautiful wife for a moment, wondering how I got so incredibly lucky to call her mine, before smashing my lips to hers and confusing where she began and I ended.

***end of flashback***

And that's how your dad and I got married, even if we're not telling everyone until after your uncle and cousin have been saved.

- Love, Mom

I closed my burning eyes, the pages wet with my tears.

My wife.

The two of us had been so happy that night. The last night I even spent with her before she was gone.

Dear Beyla,

I'm sorry I couldn't get this book the happy ending it deserved. I'm sorry about so many things I couldn't, or didn't manage to do, but I hope when you're old enough and I give you this book, that you love your mom as much as she loved you. And maybe, some selfish part of me hopes you think I did a good job of raising you despite everything. It's pointless for me to continue holding onto it, since it's filled with nothing but empty, painful memories and no one to be read by but a sad, broken man, so I'll be passing it along to your auntie Dali to keep it safe. I'll trust her to give it to you when the time is right.

- I love you always, Dad

A/N

Hi, Treasures! Make sure you join my F-a-c-e-b-o-o-k group Teddy's Treasures for extra content and discussions! Sooo did anyone expect that's what Rose and Zane did when she asked him to go with her, or did you think something else?